Now if you'll excuse me, I need to spend the rest of the night concocting a good answer for the 1,700 "How did the Lakers manage to blow that big ass lead?" questions I'm gonna get between now and game 5 (which I may or may not be watching).
Originally posted by DJ FrostyFreezeWhatta weekend ruiner THAT game was.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to spend the rest of the night concocting a good answer for the 1,700 "How did the Lakers manage to blow that big ass lead?" questions I'm gonna get between now and game 5 (which I may or may not be watching).
Originally posted by DJ FrostyFreezeWhatta weekend ruiner THAT game was.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to spend the rest of the night concocting a good answer for the 1,700 "How did the Lakers manage to blow that big ass lead?" questions I'm gonna get between now and game 5 (which I may or may not be watching).
HOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE
Watch closely during crunch time of tight game and you can see each and every one of Kobe's teammates freeze up because they don't want to incur his wrath. Vujacic should also be skewered for taking a contested two when the Lakers needed a 3 with about 20 ticks left.
My pick of Celtics in 6 is looking about spot on right now.
As much as I'd love to see the Celtics, well, win Game 5 and thus the championship, even though no team has come back from down 3-1 to win the NBA Finals, if anyone can do it it's probably the Lakers.
But yeah, they're gonna have their work cut out for them.
"It, uh... it was not supposed to be a fight to the death." "Trust me, they're better off now." "Yeah, you're probably right."
Did it seem like Phil Jackson spent the 3rd quarter thinking of one-liners to use on Tafoya instead of coaching? Glad to know the Lakers don't seem to know that you can advance the ball at the end of a game with a time-out. Only hope I had during the disgraceful 1st quarter was it seemed very similar to St. Patrick's Day in San Antonio for Boston in the first game of the Texas Triangle. Van Gundy redeemed himself for declaring the game over in the 1st quarter by trying to point the camera crew towards the court as action was occurring with 2 minutes left and they decided instead to do a close-up of the broadcast crew. When the Celtics couldn't break the tie on 4 or 5 chances and the Lakers went up 4, it did seem like the avalanche was going to hit again and the Lakers would pull away late. Throw the knockout punch Sunday and don't let Kobe think he can go into Boston and steal Game 6 on his own and cause everything to be a 1 game season.
Originally posted by redsoxnationVan Gundy redeemed himself for declaring the game over in the 1st quarter by trying to point the camera crew towards the court as action was occurring with 2 minutes left and they decided instead to do a close-up of the broadcast crew.
OMG, this was fantastic. He was especially annoyed that he had to point twice.
This game had all of the classic elements of a comeback that fizzles, because the Celtics had four or five possessions where they could have taken the lead but failed. Once they got the lead the Lakers were done.
All Sasha Vujacic needed on that last play was a red cape to wave at Ray Allen.
Holy fuck shit motherfucker shit. Read comics. Fuck shit shit fuck shit I sold out when I did my job. Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck. Sorry had to do it....
*snip*
Revenge of the Sith = one thumb up from me. Fuck shit. I want to tittie fuck your ass. -- The Guinness. to Cerebus
I've never seen a guy disappear when the heat gets turned up like Lamar Odom. Where did this guy go?
The Lakers really have nobody to defend Garnett when they post him and spread the floor. Sure it helps that Posey was shooting lights out in the second half, but posting Garnett is just too much for Gasol and Odom.
Major props to Doc for going with Eddie House in the second half.
Originally posted by piemanI heard the best nickname for Sasha on Czaban's show this morning: Sasha Vujachump. Nice.
Not bad, but I still prefer Pau Gasoft.
In a related story: Believe it or not, Pau Gasol is the most popular athlete in Spain, even moreso than athletes IN Spain. The sports press are really raking him over the coals there too.
These finals are being shown live in Spain at 3am (their time). A lot of his fans were actually waking up at 3 in the morning to catch the games, only to see Gasol suck and they're getting pissed off.
In addition, the Spanish press sent 20-something reporters to cover Gasol in the finals and they are giving him HELL. Apparently, they're a lot more direct in their face-to-face questioning and criticisms than the American press usually is, peppering Pau with gems like "Why are you playing so bad?","Arent you ashamed of your play right now?", and "How do you think the Lakers feel about bringing you over now?"
That being said, Gasol actually played ok last night (17pts, 10rebs) and I still like him. But yeah, Kevin Garnett ate him up everytime down the floor.
Originally posted by HitTheSnoozeButtonVujacic should also be skewered for taking a contested two when the Lakers needed a 3 with about 20 ticks left.
Don't forget the other guy (Radmanovic?) who went to save the ball from going out of bounds after that shot, even though the loose rebound clearly went off one of the Celtics, and wound up throwing it right into Garnett's hands ... Not a very smart play.
Bah. I'll maybe start feeling bad for Frosty when his team goes another ten years or so without making it back to the Finals. Why the Pacers dismantled their 2000 Eastern Conference Championship team is beyond me, and then of course the most recent turning point for the franchise was the brawl with the Pistons, from which we've really never recovered.
Even if the Lakers don't come back from down 3-1 in this series, they've still got Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and the promising Andrew Bynum, and there's no reason to expect they won't contend for a championship every year for at least the next five years. Even if Bynum turns out to be a tremendous bust, L.A. got to the finals this year without him.
"It, uh... it was not supposed to be a fight to the death." "Trust me, they're better off now." "Yeah, you're probably right."
I wasn't sure if I was going to watch the finals, despite the nostalgia feel of them with the Lakers/Celtics but I have watched all 4 games and especially the game 4 collapse of the Lakers. I also have a soft spot for Ray Allen, who had to play here in Seattle and got out when the gettin' was good. He is my pick for MVP of the Finals. He has been the most consistent player for Boston.
Chuck Norris drives an ice cream truck covered in human skulls.
Good God, the Lakers came close to collapsing AGAIN! They're not winning in Boston with that kind of play. Hell, if Kendrick Perkins hadn't been forced to sit out, the Lakers wouldn't have won tonight.
Of course, the Lakers have won in hostile road environments before, including Utah (best home record in the NBA) and San Antonio. If they win Game 6, I'll get behind them to win in 7.
Originally posted by Rush4LifeI also have a soft spot for Ray Allen, who had to play here in Seattle and got out when the gettin' was good. He is my pick for MVP of the Finals.
Coming back to Boston isn't insurmountable for the Lakers. All the talking heads (Wilbon and Jon Barry on ESPN and Van Gundy and Jackson on ABC) are all stating the fact that Kobe needs to take over and put these games away, but Pierce and sometimes Allen are playing awesome defense. Paul Pierce has stepped up his game in this series and I am sure he knows this may be the only chance he gets.
The Lakers didn't so much win Game 5 as the Celtics lost it, getting themselves in foul trouble and missing key shots late in the fourth. L.A. got away with one, and they know it.
Game 6 is gonna be very interesting...
"It, uh... it was not supposed to be a fight to the death." "Trust me, they're better off now." "Yeah, you're probably right."
Originally posted by Rush4LifeI also have a soft spot for Ray Allen, who had to play here in Seattle and got out when the gettin' was good. He is my pick for MVP of the Finals.
If Boston win the series PP is your finals MVP.
Who is a great player in his own right and after 38 points in a losing effort, I'd be ok with that. I just feel that Allen has had the most consistent series and has (for the most part) knocked down the shot when it's been needed.
(edited by Rush4Life on 16.6.08 2104) Chuck Norris drives an ice cream truck covered in human skulls.
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I'll give the Raps credit, it was clear that O'Neal didn't have anything left in the tank and they were smart to cut their losses quickly rather than keep him for the rest of the season and waste the whole year.